🗳️ Election Day Is Almost Here — Get Out and Vote!
For all you procrastinators out there, we've put together a comprehensive guide to Tuesday's election. It's probably too late to put your ballot in the mail, so make sure you sign the back of the envelope and drop yours off at an official ballot drop site by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.
If you're feeling anxious after you drop off your ballot, Write Around Portland is hosting a virtual Election Anxiety Free Writing Circle online on election night.
There are also a pair of events to break down the results and look toward the future happening on Friday, Nov. 13:
- City Club of Portland and the League of Women Voters are hosting a 2026 Election Reflections event at University Place Hotel & Conference Center.
- Oregon's climate justice and environmental community are hosting a statewide post-election discussion with Secretary of State Tobias Read at Waverly United Church of Christ.
🎭 Visit the Portland Opera
Whether or not you're familiar with opera music, checking out a performance by the Portland Opera is always a treat. They're a wickedly talented group of musicians and vocalists, and it's a perfect excuse to get dressed up and go downtown. City Cast senior producer Giulia Fiaoni recommends Giuseppe Verdi's 1853 three-act romantic tragedy "La Traviata," which will be at the Keller Auditorium on Nov. 6 and 8. The performance is in Italian, but there are English subtitles to follow along. The arts organization is downsizing and will only have two other shows this season (in December and March), so go see them while you can!
🦃 Order Your Thanksgiving Feast (and Plan a Trot)
It's no surprise that a holiday based around seasonal eating is a perennial Portland favorite, so it's time to start thinking about what you're putting on your table on Nov. 26. Bridgetown Bites has a great round-up of local farms, bakeries, and restaurants to order your Thanksgiving spread — I've got my eye on that confit turkey leg from Laurelhurst Market.
Plus, there's plenty of options to burn off a few calories before the big meal: On the day before Thanksgiving, Hood to Coast is hosting a Turkey Trot among the holiday lights at the Portland International Raceway. On Thanksgiving day, the Oregon Road Runners are hosting their Turkey Trot at the Portland Zoo, and the Northwest Vegetarians' plant-based Tofurky Trot starts at OMSI.
